Professional Training for Music Leaders & Facilitators: Skills Lab Academy
At this 3-day practical training course musicians will learn a range of new techniques for facilitation, share experiences, and explore new ideas in a non-judgemental environment.
Skills Lab Academy is a professional training course for music facilitators working across a wide range of community settings. Skills Lab sessions provide a place to learn new techniques, share experiences, and explore new ideas in a non-judgemental environment. The course is led by composer and music leader James Redwood, who has over 20 years of experience in music creation.
Flexible options:
- Attend the full 3 days of the course, or purchase sessions separately
- Purchase at the organisational rate, or the subsidised rate for individuals and freelancers
- Bursaries available
Session 1: Music Facilitation Toolkit
Thursday 5th February, 10am – 5pm
In this Skills Lab session James Redwood is joined by beatboxer, producer and workshop facilitator Jason Singh. Together, they’ll unpack creative ways to lead music-making sessions, providing practical techniques and discussing their application in a variety of settings. This session will cover how to devise projects, integrating technology in music leading, and vocal leading techniques to unlock creativity and confidence in your work.
Session 2: Leading Creative Instrumental Projects
Thursday 12th March, 10am – 5pm
BBC Concert Orchestra violinist Sarah Freestone leads a session on facilitating inclusive and creative instrumental projects. Discover practical strategies to use when working with a wide range of instruments and learn methods of aiding confidence in music creation through your leading.
Session 3: Inclusive Music Facilitation
Thursday 26th March, 10am – 5pm
For the final session, James Redwood will be joined by family music practitioner, singer and songwriter Rosie Adediran. They’ll explore creative ways to lead music workshops with families and young children under five, and share inclusive strategies to building community and belonging through music, with a focus on working with migrant communities.
Information
- Date:
- Feb 5, 2026 - Mar 26, 2026
- Time:
- 10:00 - 17:00
- Organiser:
- Spitalfields Music
- Booking:
- Website
